Help Us Film A Documentary Uncovering The Silenced Roots of Majorcan Jewry
The History
Our film will explore the fascinating legacy of the Chuetas: a unique group of families on the Balearic island of Majorca who are believed to be descendants of the island’s Inquisition-era Jewish population.
Historians believe the Chuetas were forced to renounce their Judaism by the Catholic Church at the beginning of the 15th century in the years leading up to the Majorcan Inquisition.
These families were given the choice to either convert to Catholicism or face certain murder.
They were not offered exile.
Although most officially converted and functionally “eliminated” Jewish life in Majorca, many continued to practice their Judaism in secret. In the year 1688 a group was caught trying to escape the island via boat to Livorno and were then publicly executed in the famous Autos De Fe of 1691. Their family names were hung in a famous Convent on display for all to see until the year 1820 when the Convent was destroyed. Though they were practicing Catholics, they were discriminated against up until the middle of the 20th century, always being forced to marry within their subgroup population. It is estimated that there are currently roughly 20,000 “Chuetas” living on the island today.
The Present
Current-day Majorca presents a compelling case study for silenced Judaism. Practicing Catholic families cite Jewish “traditions” that date back centuries, without ever being openly acknowledged or explained.
Our story will follow Dani Rotstein, a Jewish-American expat who moved to the island in 2014 and quickly became fascinated with the story. Rotstein currently works as a social activist & guide on the island, where he uses discoveries from his ongoing investigation to give added context to the winding streets of the Jewish quarter.
The Future
Despite its traumatic past, Majorca is experiencing an exciting Jewish revival, with a few returned Chuetas and young expat families at the helm. The last 30 years on the island saw Jewish life largely center around its sole synagogue – a traditional congregation founded by British-Ashkenazi expats in 1987.
Rotstein seeks to breathe new life into the community. He regularly organizes raucous Shabbat dinners and established Majorca’s very own “Limmud” chapter – an educational organization that aims to spread Jewish culture and history throughout the world.
Our documentary intends to explore the current sensibilities of the Chuetas – both those who have opted to officially convert or rather “return” to Judaism (about 15 cases) and those who simply claim their family legacy.
In addition, we’ll pose some interesting questions about how Chuetas are perceived by the current Jewish population. Though the community bears some heavy scars from its tragic history, we hope that by harnessing the past we can continue building a robust Jewish identity on the island.
Why Donate?
As the Jewish High Holidays approach, the community is at a crossroads to see if they can remain as one community celebrating their varied different customs and backgrounds or faction off into small groups within the larger whole. To capture this watershed moment, Rotstein has joined forces with journalist Ofer Laszewicki and cameraman Felipe Wolokita (both residing in Israel), who will land on the island to film and edit a documentary that aims to order all the pieces of this puzzle.
Your contributions will be vital to defray the production costs of the documentary, and we look forward to you getting involved with a donation. We will put in all of our effort and enthusiasm, because we believe from the heart that this will mark a before and after.
Join and be part of the Jewish future in Majorca!
“Chuetas Documentary” is being spearheaded by a member of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation network and has been awarded a matching grant. Schusterman is a global organization that seeks to ignite the passion and unleash the power in young people to create positive change for themselves, the Jewish community and the broader world. Learn more about the Foundation here @ https://www.schusterman.org/.
WE DID IT! WE HIT OUR GOAL!
We cannot thank you, our supporters, enough for helping us reach our objective and allow for an incredible documentary to be filmed and produced!
We are so very excited to update you with the film’s edit and post process and send you the good news of finishing our rough cut.
Thank you once again for all of the support – you are all officially a part of the Jewish revival happening in Mallorca and Spain!
Sincerely,
Dani, Ofer and Felipe
WE ARE ALMOST THERE!
Shana Tova and Happy New Year!
After touching down in Majorca, our Israeli filmmakers witnessed firsthand the state of the Chueta community. Even after many centuries, the consequences of persecution and anti-Semitism are still very much visible.
We spent ten consecutive days filming throughout the island – from the Jewish Quarter of Palma to the beach and mountain towns of Alcudia, Sóller, Inca & Valldemossa.
We interviewed diverse members of the Jewish community, documenting various cultural events in the weeks leading up to the Jewish High Holidays.
Throughout our filming, we uncovered as many questions as we did answers. There was a tangible reluctance to openly acknowledge the island’s hateful past. It seems that wounds on both sides have yet to fully heal.
But we did not set out to merely film a historical documentary; our goal was to also capture the present– particularly the dilemmas facing the community in the weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Due to the international and ‘expat’ nature of the nearly 1,000 Jews on the island, there are many conflicting identities, upbringings and perceptions of Judaism.
The Jews on the island often debates how the community should look, who should be allowed to practice, and which traditions should be preserved.
But there is also an undeniable bond: one of resilience and pride. This is a community of people eager to reclaim their Judaism without bowing their heads.
All this is to say: We need one last push to finish this story with the care and attention it deserves. While the initial campaign managed to offset the costs of filming, our goal is to now cover high quality post production and editing. We believe these finishing touches will make for a more nuanced and ultimately more compelling film.
We’re so grateful for your past contributions, and we hope you’ll consider giving just a bit more.
With your help, we can finish telling this story the way it was meant to be told.
We DID it! We have raised initial funds to get the documentary filming off the ground! Thank YOU ALL so very much for wanting to be a part of this exciting project. We have purchased travel arrangements for Ofer and Felipe to come from Israel to begin the principal photography of the documentary. Our shooting week in Mallorca will be from Sept 21-Oct 1 – the week leading up to Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year.
As these initial costs only help defray the total costs of the project we are not done yet. Please continue to share this link and invite others to participate as well. The more people involved the better! Do you know someone who would like to learn about the hidden history of the Chueta people of Majorca? Do you know others who want to be a part of the Jewish revival happening today in Spain?
We look forward to updating you as our project evolves. Thank you for your support.
Dani, Ofer, and Felipe
“Chuetas Documentary” is being spearheaded by a member of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation network and has been awarded a matching grant. Schusterman is a global organization that seeks to ignite the passion and unleash the power in young people to create positive change for themselves, the Jewish community and the broader world. Learn more about the Foundation here – https://www.schusterman.org/.